Elections in the time of Ebola: Congo to vote amid disease

BENI, Congo (AP) — What’s an election campaign without shaking hands with potential voters? Congolese candidates in the thick of an Ebola outbreak, now the second deadliest in history, are finding out.

Congolese officials have openly worried about the risks of holding its election on Sunday, especially in eastern Congo where health officials are fighting to bring Ebola under control amid rebel attacks.

Residents say many people have already fled and no one knows how many voters — or even election workers — will show up.

As voters must cast their ballot by tapping on a shared touchscreen, the United Nations peacekeeping mission has supplied eight tons of hand sanitizer and disinfectant for polling stations in the outbreak zone.